Disney Guest Sends Bob Chapek Scathing Letter After Devastating Trip

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If you plan on going to any of the Disney Parks, you are likely expecting to have a vacation filled with magic. Considering how expensive a Disney vacation can cost, when it comes to Park tickets, hotel costs, and food pricing, some Guests save up for years to take their family to the Happiest Place on Earth or Most Magical Place on Earth.

Mickey at Disneyland Resort
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Of course, one should expect that things will not go perfectly 100% of the time on any vacation, but it can be a little disheartening when multiple unfortunate circumstances occur in a row. One Inside the Magic reader who frequents Disneyland Resort often went on a vacation recently now that Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure are open. Unfortunately, she seemed to have had a less-than-magical time and contacted Disney’s CEO, Bob Chapek, about her stay.

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downtown disney at the disneyland resort
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Denise began attempting to contact Bob Chapek on December 3, 2021; after sending her letter to every Disney email she could find, Bob’s secretary approached her after multiple attempts were made to contact him. Below, you can see the entire letter that Denise wrote to Bob. After reading it, we can see two main concerns that may need addressing for other Guests in the Park. It seems Denise thought that there was severe overcrowding and believed that some Cast Members were not as friendly as she had experienced in the past.

Guests wearing face masks at disneyland resort
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Below is her letter; some sections have been removed for length and clarity.

Hi the powers that be at Disneyland today I’m leaving for home from what was my most disappointing Disneyland trip I’ve ever taken and mind you I’ve been to Disneyland over a 100 times in my lifetime.

So this trip started off with one bad experience after another it started on November 30th and ended today on December 3.
November 30th I’m going through security with my small Vera Bradley Disney purse and the security girl yanked so hard on my snap she broke my $75 purse not a good start. I know for a fact you were not practicing Covid crowd restrictions the parks all 3 days and even today in downtown Disney this place has been at normal Christmas capacity remember this isn’t my first trip……

Family at Pym test kitchen at avengers campus at disney California adventure at disneyland resort
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Well on with Tuesday November 30th I went to DCA to get my Walt Disney Travel Company pin and lanyard and was treated by 2 separate cast members on 2 separate occasions like a lier and a thief because the first time my internet wouldn’t work to show my code then when I went back with a screenshot I was treated worse. Where’s the magic? I came by myself as I have 90% of the time over the last 10 years.

On with Tuesday November 30th I went to dinner at Carthay Circle I had been given a menu with no prices I was asked if I wanted bread and I said yes then I ordered a pork chop and soda my total was $80 I didn’t know I had to pay for bread and who would have ever expected a pork chop with a big bone and no sides to cost $50 not me!
Then I went to the merriest nights event and it was so incredibly busy I stayed an hour.

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Once again I’m run over and bumped into all day at both parks by both cast members and guests. It’s so disheartening.
On to Thursday December 2nd the overcrowding really took a toll on me. There was no place I could go to get a small amount of peace.

Then the last fun thing I had planned was dinner at Goofys Kitchen with my nephew. I had no idea how much it was going to be the food was garbage the character experience was crummy and I get a bill for $140 are you kidding me?!?! This also included a forced $20 tip! Then to top it off my nephew got his parking validated and was still forced to pay $10! What is wrong with this picture?!?! A lot!

So in conclusion you all dropped the ball big time the park was dirty the rides needed to be cleaned and repainted the cast members were not nice. Every cast member I walked by I would say thank you and I would be ignored.

disneyland resort main street train station
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In the sections where Denise talks about pricing, it should be known that all pricing for any Disneyland Resort food location can be found on the Disneyland app. We suggest Guests read the menus and look at costs before making any reservation to ensure that the meal cost fits their budget.

From our experience, Cast Members are typically fantastic and have been at both Parks throughout the pandemic. Still, it seems that Denise may have had a one-off incident in this case, which appears to be unfortunate circumstances. Regarding crowding, Denise noted that the crowds during the holidays in 2021 during the pandemic seemed more significant than that in 2019 when she was there. Disneyland Resort is currently under a reduced capacity. However, we cannot speak on how high that capacity has become and if it is closer to a pre-pandemic state.

Disney Characters at Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland Resort in California
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Denise noted that she wanted compensation for her trip in her letter but did not disclose to us if there was any forward movement on that part.

As someone who visits Disney Parks very often, I do not think this is the norm for a Disney vacation, and it seems neither does Denise, who has seen it hundreds of times. That being said, it is interesting that she seemingly could contact Bob Chapek after resiliently sending emails to any contact she had.

Have you ever experienced a negative Disney vacation? Let us know in the comments below!

Let the expert team at Academy Travel help you plan your next magical vacation to Disneyland Resort, including Disneyland Park, Disney California Adventure, and the Downtown Disney District. Or what about Walt Disney World Resort’s four theme parks — Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios — and the Disney Springs shopping and dining district!

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